Water pump issue

Hi,
 I’ve just got back from two nights using the leisure battery only, when I turn the pump on everything works ok but the pump never goes off, however when on ehu the pump will pressure the system and then go off as expected. It’s easy to turn the pump on as required but is there some adjustment that I need to do?

Thanks karl

Yes. You need to fiddle with the pressure valve. There will be a wheel on the top which you will probably need to turn slightly anti-clockwise until the pump stops. We had exactly the same thing happen to us the first time we were off EHU. 

The pressure valve will be in the cold water pipe before it gets to the heater drain switch - at least it is in ours.

You may find that each time you change from hook-up to off-grid you have to alter the pressure switch but only turn it the tiniest amount until you stop the pump.

Paulmold wrote:You may find that each time you change from hook-up to off-grid you have to alter the pressure switch but only turn it the tiniest amount until you stop the pump.

Yes that is very good advice, I have had to do exactly that when on or off EHU and it works.
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Richard

The pressure switch should be under the rear traveling seat near the side of the van in a place that makes it a bit of a pain to adjust. When setting the switch it might take a bit longer after you have closed the the tap for the pump to go off.
I’ve wondered why we all suffer from this and I can only think it is due to the pump running at a slower speed due to the voltage being lower and is unable to create the same pressure in the water system hence requiring a lower setting on the pressure switch

Am I right in assuming this adjustment is only required for submersible pumps? My Shurflo pump just works slightly slower when not on EHU, and has never needed adjustment in it's entire life.
Al.

bikeralw wrote:Am I right in assuming this adjustment is only required for submersible pumps? My Shurflo pump just works slightly slower when not on EHU, and has never needed adjustment in it's entire life.
Al.

My Shureflow pump on my 1993 Clubman GL wouldn't turn off when we bought the van a few weeks ago. I removed the back of the cupboard under the sink and because it had been mounted facing the back wall, had to remove the fixing screws for the pump to get to the pressure switch which is a tiny screw in the centre of the plastic cover at the end of the pump. I moved it gently both ways until I found the point at which the pump switched off and it has been fine since.

Roger

As Roger says, Shurflo pressure switch is mounted on the pump itself and rarely if ever needs adjusting. The submersible pumps have a separate pressure switch which needs adjusting (far too often in my opinion, I remember having to regularly alter it when we had caravans).

Thanks all, the switch is awkward to get too but 1/4 turn anti clockwise and all is well

Once I had adjusted the first time I didn't need to adjust again when swapping from EHU to being without. The whole pressure switch did need changing at the beginning of April as the non- return valve in it failed and the new one is much much better - hardly ever does a random pulse when one.

I think you were lucky Peter.

Before we changed to a Shurflo I had to twiddle the knob every time we changed from hook-up to battery or the reverse. I know several other members have found the same.

Not difficult (although a quarter turn sounds a bit excessive to me) but bloody irritating -  out of all proportion to the relatively trivial nature of the problem.

Same issue on the submersible pump that I have. The wheel on the pressure switch needs adjusting now and again, depending on the level of charge in the battery. Placing a permanent marker where wheel should be helps.

Good idea if you can normally see the wheel. On the Bourton all the gubbins are boxed in and you have to put your hand through a hole to be able to get to it. The hole is just big enough to get your hand through and I rubbed my wrist raw keep putting my hand through when trying to see if I could get the pump to run properly before I decided, correctly, that the non-return valve was not working. 

The switch for the boiler drain is through another hole in the same top cover which has some electrical equipment on the underside. I don't know why they have two different layouts for the Bourton and the Broadway with the same layout.